Page 100 of Ensnared

Sheisn’tworth it.

She’snot worth the distractions.Therisks.

She’ssure as hell not worth the cracks that are spiderwebbing across our friendship.

“Thereare four of them.There’sa good chance we’ll need a medic,”Igrit out, hating that a hint of panic laces my voice. “Rescheduleyour damn date.”

Resentment, clear as day, flashes across his face.Hissquare jaw is tight, set—but fuck him for that.Idoneed him.

Becausehe’s a doctor, of course, and we don’t know how that fight will go down.

AndbecauseBeaualways falls too fast.

Whycan’t he see thatI’mprotecting him, keeping him away like this?Hedoesn’t need to get hurt again.

Aftertoo long of a pause,Beau’shand drops from where he was rubbing his chest and his expression closes over. “Yes, sir.Oh-four-hundred.”

Reliefcrashes through me, andIreinforce my knees.

“Thereare four of them.Willyou need extra hands?”Jasperasks, sitting back and glancing atLucky.

Jasper’sface is blank and serene as a glacier, butIknow to watch his right hand.Longfingers worry his wedding band, which he now wears on his other hand.Roundand round.

Iforce a grim smile. “Tohandle four?Twois plenty.”Andit is.Nota one of those four will have an ounce of our training. “Jaykobis right, though.Somethingabout this isn’t right.I’dfeel better knowing we have people here watching the house.Itcould—”

“Ah.”Thesurprised exhale fromJasperstops me short.Hisdark gaze has snared on a much smaller screen, set up on his laptop.Heturns it. “Itappears we have company.”

There’sa touch of humor in the tilt of his mouth.

Myeyes drop to the screen, andIfreeze, rage licking at my insides.Thegirl has the nerve to—

“Didyou leave the bookcase open?”Idemand ofBeau.

Hischin drops, face hardening. “Ofcourse not.”

Sheworked it out.Thehidden latch that would open the hidden door in the bookcase.Shecrept down the short corridor, lightly enough that we couldn’t hear her, and is now standing outside the door, studying the keypad panel with a small frown.Wewatch as she appears to give up on that and presses her ear to the door.

Jaykob, of all people, snorts in amusement.

Angerspikes, butIhold it in check.Letit burrow deep into my bones, leak into my marrow.She’strying tospyon us?We’vegiven the spoiled brat everything—every single thing she could ask for—protected her againsteverything, and she does this?Useless, dangerous girl.

“Dom,”Beausays warningly.

Ishake my head once, stalking to the door.Iyank it open and grab her by the arm, ignoring her breathless gasp, and draw her into the room.

“Geton your knees,”Itell her coldly.

Eden’seyes widen until they almost eclipse her glasses.There’stension in the air, snapping through it like electric currents.Theothers are shifting, hesitating.Whenshe doesn’t move,Istep forward and lower my voice.

“On.Your.Knees.”

Iexpect her to look to the others, to turn those big, pretty eyes on them and beg for help.Buther wary gaze stays on me, tracking my movements the way a gazelle side-eyes an approaching lion.

Butthere’s nowhere for her to run.

Interestingly, beside her nervousness lurks a touch of her own anger that she doesn’t bother to hide.Itintrigues me—just a little—butIpush that feeling away.

Swallowing, she lowers herself gracefully, like she’s done it a thousand times.Likethe movement is a memory, preserved in her flesh.

---